In order to pursue a five year period fully devoted to research on the determinants and consequences of parenting, a Research Scientist Development Award is requested. Using data from three longitudinal studies of the parenthood, comprising some 250 families, a conceptual model of the determinants of parenthood will be assessed. The model presumes that parenting is multiply determined by forces within the individual (personality, developmental history), within the child (temperament, perinatal status) and from the broader family and community context in which parent-child relations are embedded (marriage, social network, work). Each of these domains of context is measured via interview and questionnaire, and parenting is studied observationally. The study design includes a prenatal interview/questionnaire phase, plus data collections at 1, 3 and 9 months postpartum to assess family functioning. Finally, at one year infant development is assessed.